Lady Gaga Super Bowl Halftime Show: Setlist, Guests, And More

As preparations ramp up for the Lady Gaga Super Bowl Halftime Show this Sunday, journalists are speculating about the possible spectacle that the singer will bring to the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. While millions of viewers will tune in to see whether the Atlanta Falcons or the New England Patriots reign victorious, some will watch the Super Bowl to see whether Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” or “Born This Way” make the cut onto the halftime show setlist.

Lady Gaga has spoken to a variety of sources and dropped several hints about what viewers can expect from her Super Bowl halftime show performance. In an interview with Houston’s Mix 62.5 radio station, Gaga revealed that she wants to create a performance that resonates equally with longtime fans of hers and new audiences.

“Fans can expect a performance that spans my career so far. I appreciate everyone that has supported me over the years and that still supports my music and my shows. I can’t wait to do a great show for the world!”

A career-spanning performance for Lady Gaga will undoubtedly include a song or two off of her first studio album, 2008’s The Fame. Gaga released five singles from The Fame, with “Just Dance” and “Poker Face” both peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Unfortunately for fans hoping for a massive medley of Gaga songs, Teen Vogue reports that Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl setlist will only feature five songs. That is a relatively short setlist for an artist whose career spans ten years and five full-length studio albums. Beyonce’s setlist for her 2013 Super Bowl halftime show featured nine songs and included performances from her former Destiny’s Child bandmates. Katy Perry’s Super Bowl halftime show setlist featured eight songs and included guest spots from Missy Elliott and Lenny Kravitz.

In comparison, Lady Gaga’s choice to perform only five songs will only allow her a song or two off of each album. Billboard also reported that Lady Gaga’s halftime show will not feature any guest performers – so fans should not expect to see Lady Gaga and Beyonce perform “Telephone” together this Sunday.

While not much has been confirmed regarding the official setlist for Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl performance, some information has been revealed by Pepsi in a behind-the-scenes look at the Super Bowl halftime show performance. The video, posted to the brand’s official Twitter account, shows Lady Gaga and her dancers and choreographer as they prepare for Sunday’s show.

In the embedded video, Lady Gaga speaks about her struggles to create a show that will be memorable and original while still paying homage to her long-lasting career.

“The thing is, it’s such a big world stage in terms of how many people see it, and it’s been done so many times I think the challenge is to look at it and say ‘what can I do differently, how can I elevate little things here and there,’ and also make it about the music?”

The behind-the-scenes video confirms one song for the Lady Gaga Super Bowl setlist: 2009’s “Bad Romance” off of her second studio album The Fame Monster. “Bad Romance” peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and introduced the world to a more artistic side of Lady Gaga.

Since Lady Gaga explained that her Super Bowl show would highlight her entire career, it is logical to assume that a song or two from 2011’s Born This Way will also be featured on Sunday. Either the number-one-peaking title track or “Edge of Glory,” which peaked at number three, are likely bets. Whether or not the Lady Gaga Super Bowl halftime show will feature much from her newest album Joanne remains to be seen, although a piece in Billboard argued that it was unlikely.

“Career-spanning medleys are par for the course for Super Bowls and have been for some time now; no halftime headliner since The Who’s legacy rock last-gasp in 2010 has touched on fewer than a half-dozen songs over the course of their performance, and none of those set lists have even been half-composed of new material.”

In addition to slick, theatrical choreography, Lady Gaga has also teased stuntwork for the Super Bowl halftime show. The Bismarck Tribunerevealed that producers are “writing up multiple plans about how to safely get her on the roof, including potentially [cutting] a hole in the ceiling of the dome. Trying to figure out insurance for it is crazy.”

A Lady Gaga performance on the roof of the Super Bowl stadium would fit right in with earlier halftime show stunts. Katy Perry memorably rode through the Super Bowl on a giant mechanized lion while performing her hit song “Roar,” and a Gaga entrance through the roof of the stadium could top even that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggILqT2B_3g&ab_channel=OutrageousGamer

Are you excited for the Lady Gaga Super Bowl halftime show?

[Featured Image by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret]